Leeds has hosted a high-profile delegation of 15 Bulgarian female tech leaders who selected the city as their primary UK destination to forge new partnerships and explore investment opportunities.
Supported by the Department of Business & Trade, FinTech North and the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s office and facilitated by national law firm Mills & Reve, the three-day visit (23-25 September) during Leeds Digital Festival highlights the growing recognition of Yorkshire’s tech ecosystem as a serious partner for international collaboration.
Leeds secured the delegation following a senior Bulgarian businesswoman’s attendance at last year’s Leeds Digital Festival. Impressed by the region’s potential, she lobbied the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce to shift focus from London to Yorkshire’s fast-growing tech sector.
Desislava Miteva, executive director at the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, said:
“We like to explore opportunities outside of London because there is a lot of good business going on outside the capital. We’ve found it’s actually easier to strike collaborations with organisations in this region. If you want to build sustainable, long-term international partnerships, regional ecosystems such as Yorkshire are ideal destinations.”
Desislava Miteva, executive director at the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce
Mills & Reeve hosted several events and introduced the delegation to a variety of key organisations and individuals in the region. The packed itinerary included:
FinTech North event attendance
Networking sessions at Barclays Eagle Lab
Mills & Reeve Tech Tuesday event and the launch of the firm’s Top Tech Yorkshire initiative
Roundtable discussions with Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) director Sharon Jandu OBE and fundraising expert Charlotte Scott of The New Monday
Exclusive fireside chat featuring Jordan Dargue, co-founder of Lifted Ventures, and Vanessa Walton and Alex Newman from Mills & Reeve, chaired by Alex Beardsley, community and operations lead at The Lifted Project.
Strategic connections have already emerged, with a reciprocal FinTech North visit to Sofia planned and the British Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce stating its intention to signpost Bulgarian scale-ups to Leeds as a key UK investment destination. A number of the delegates have also established new relationships with Yorkshire organisations.
Maria Sivkova, owner and MD of Conversion Century and one of the delegates, commented:
“We have several clients from the UK, and most are based in London but operate in Leeds, Manchester, and Birmingham. We’ve seen how they’re finding great opportunities in these regional cities – even better opportunities than in London.”
“The visit gave us an important opportunity to meet advisors, investors and fellow business founders who particularly want to support female leaders grow and succeed in what can be a male-dominated sector. It’s clear that Yorkshire is very advanced in this area, and we’ve taken away some great new opportunities and contacts.”
The mission provided crucial opportunities for the all-female delegation to engage organisations and individuals committed to supporting female-led enterprises.
Alex Beardsley, community and operations lead at The Lifted Project, stated:
“The visit aligned perfectly with our mission of supporting high-growth women-led businesses. Seeing an all-women delegation of ambitious tech leaders here in Leeds was inspiring – proof that women are not just part of the conversation, but leading it. The visit has been hugely valuable not only in giving the delegation direct access to our networks and knowledge, but also in strengthening international ties.”
Sharon Jandu OBE, FSB director and non-exec director for the Yorkshire Asian Business Association, added:
“There’s a tendency for international delegations to default to London, but when they come to the regions, businesses find it easier to stand out and build meaningful connections. In Yorkshire, we’re welcoming to business, the support available is substantial, and the resources are excellent. I’m delighted the delegation chose Leeds, this is exactly the kind of international engagement that demonstrates the strength of the Northern Powerhouse.”
Concluding, Alex Newman, partner at Mills & Reeve, said:
“We’re committed to supporting the Yorkshire region and showcasing its fantastic qualities and potential on an international scale, particularly for female leaders in sectors such as tech; so, we were delighted to facilitate this successful visit.
“Important new partnerships and opportunities have been forged, and the visit has provided an opportunity for Yorkshire’s tech sector to showcase the many benefits it offers to ambitious businesses internationally. This marks the start of an exciting relationship between the Yorkshire region and Bulgaria, as well as the wider Balkans region with its fast-emerging tech scene.”
Bulgaria is a fast-growing tech hub with a tech sector that has accelerated from almost zero to 7% of GDP in less than 20 years. It has attracted tech giants like SAP, Microsoft, Oracle, and VMware, while homegrown success stories from companies such as Telerik and Payhawk have made global headlines. The country has the third highest share of women employed in the ICT sector in the EU.
